Insignia
by VirgilVirgilVirgil
Summary: After a few years with the Empire, Thrawn is getting tired of explaining to people that he's not a Pantoran.
1. Chapter 1

Colonel Yularen clapped Eli and Thrawn on the shoulders as they exited they party, stepping to the street to wait for the valet to bring their transport around. "Well, gentlemen, I do think tonight was a success."

Eli was just happy to be out of the party, away from the core world snobs who seemed to think of Thrawn as some novelty item and he as… well they didn't even acknowledge his existence. This was not where he belonged. These were not his kind of people.

Thrawn, on the other hand, seemed to take the matter in stride. It was painfully obvious people were more fascinated by how he looked than they were actually interested in the reason he and Eli were present at the party. He'd lost count of how many people he'd seen whispering to each other, pointing at Thrawn. There was absolutely no way Thrawn hadn't noticed them as well.

Maybe he was just used to people staring at him and pointing.

Thrawn inclined his head slightly, "Yes, thank you for the opportunity Colonel Yularen. We shall see if our efforts worked to our advantage."

Yularen nodded, his eyes focused on something down the street. "Is that…"

It was late into the night, the street lit by glittering lamps. Plenty of people were out and about, likely headed to other parties. On the far side of the street, facing away from them, a woman was attempting to hail a cab. One neared, slowed, and then picked up speed right as it reached her, disappearing down the street.

"Ah, it is! I didn't know she'd be here..." He started toward the woman. "If our transport comes, hold off for a few."

Thrawn spoke when Yularen was out of earshot. "Do you feel our attempts were a success, Ensign?"

He huffed a little. "I don't know. I just hope we didn't go through all that for nothing."

"I am afraid I'm not terribly savvy with these events. I appreciate that Colonel Yularen chose to accompany us."

Yularen could be heard from the end of the street, speaking to the woman, "Senator! How are you? It's been far too long!"

"Yeah." Eli agreed, his attention half on Yularen. He wondered just how many senators the man knew. He'd introduced them to half a senate's worth already.

Yularen returned to them, with the woman, his hand on her back guiding her in a fatherly fashion. It was only when they were close enough to fall under the light of a streetlamp that Eli finally could make out the woman's features. She was relatively young for a senator.

She was also blue, very much like Thrawn. He had to do a double take, thinking for a moment she might be Chiss. But no, her eyes were different. They were gold, rather than red. And her hair was a light shade of purple.

"Senior Lieutenant Thrawn, Ensign Vanto, I'd like to introduce you to Senator Riyo Chuchi, representative of Pantora."

The woman smiled politely at them, bowing her head, "It's good to meet you both. Yularen tells me you've made quite the mark on the Imperial Navy over the past few years." She nodded to Thrawn, "I've heard rumors of a Pantoran officer shaking things up in the Navy over the past few years. Am I safe to assume that is you, Lieutenant?"

Maybe the man was just worn out from the hours of meet-and-greet, or maybe Eli was just imagining things, but he _swore_ Thrawn hesitated for just a slight moment before responding. "Yes, I imagine it was. It is good to meet you, Senator Chuchi."

"The Senior Lieutenant gets mistaken for a Pantoran fairly often," Yularen chuckled.

"Only seven times tonight." Thrawn said.

The Senator gave a warm smile. "Well, I can't say I blame them. Other than the eyes, you'd be indistinguishable. There are worse things you could be mistaken for."

The valet pulled up with their transport. Yularen cleared his throat, "Riyo, where are you heading?"

He addressed her by her first name. Eli wondered how long he'd known her.

"Just back to the apartment I'm subletting, in the eastern tower of the Trinity Complex."

"That's perfect; we're staying there as well. Let us give you a lift back."

"Oh, thank you Colonel. I would appreciate that."

No doubt the cab earlier had picked up the pace and left her there as soon as the driver saw she wasn't human. In the current political climate, he couldn't imagine it was easy for her to be involved in Imperial politics, much less live on Coruscant.

The Senator got into the transport first, and Eli ended up seated across from her.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I just missed your name…"

"Vanto. Ensign Eli Vanto."

"You're the Lieutenant's assistant?"

"Yes, ma'am. I mean… Senator." Showing his Wild Space colors again.

She laughed, like she thought the mistake was more endearing than disrespectful toward her. "You must be from Wild Space? I can hear it in your speech."

"Yes, I grew up on Lysatra."

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar."

"It's very close to the Unknown Regions."

"How interesting…" Her striking, golden eyes turned to Thrawn. "If you don't mind me asking, where are you from Lieutenant?"

"My people, the Chiss, they reside within the Unknown Regions."

The statement felt odd - he realized, suddenly, that he couldn't actually remember hearing Thrawn volunteer the name of his people before, without specifically being asked.

"I see. I suppose the Unknown Regions aren't so unknown to you."

"I am better acquainted with the area than most Imperials. It is a vast region, and generally speaking is more difficult to traverse than much of the inner regions, so even my knowledge is limited."

"You must be a valuable asset to the Empire."

"I do hope to prove my value."

"The man is being devastatingly modest," Yularen said. "The Emperor himself instated him into the Navy, and he's already proven himself of great value more than once." Yularen launched into the same speech he'd given to so many others that night, detailing Thrawn and Eli's involvement in the tibanna gas incident, and how tactfully and intelligently they'd handled everything, and how they were now under fire simply due to the politics of Coruscant.

Eli heard the story so many times over the evening he was completely sick of it.

The Senator, gracefully, seemed genuinely interested. She asked questions, fully engaged in the Colonel's story.

They came to a halt in front of the tower just as his story came to a close. Yularen, a very classically mannered man, jumped out of the transport first, offering his hand to the Senator.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Senator. It has been far too long." Yularen said to her as they stood in the foyer of the complex.

She smiled kindly, "It has been too long."

"I don't see you around here often enough anymore."

The smile on her face faltered for a moment. "Yes, well, these are difficult times for my people. They're difficult times for many people. I'm torn between two worlds at the moment."

Yularen bowed his head to her, "Your people should consider themselves lucky to have a leader as graceful and experienced as you."

She bowed back to him, "I hope you're right. Thank you for the transport." She nodded to he and Thrawn, "Lieutenant Thrawn, Ensign Vanto, it was lovely to meet you both."

None of them spoke as she walked away. Eli felt like she may have taken all their words with her.

Yularen cleared his throat, "Don't underestimate that one. Despite her age, and the fact that she's one of the very few nonhuman senators left, she carries a great deal of influence. She's been a senator since the Clone Wars."

Eli thought she looked young for a senator, but she certainly looked very young for someone with that sort of tenure. "Really? Have you known her since then, sir?" He asked.

Yularen nodded, "Yes, I met her when she was around 20. She'd already been a Senator for a few years then."

"That seems quite young for a senator." Thrawn said.

"She was. It's a rather long story; I encourage you to ask her about it if you ever see her again. She has a fascinating background." He paused. "She's also one of the classiest women I think I've ever met. I'm glad you both had the opportunity to meet her."


	2. Chapter 2

Riyo pinched the stem of her wine glass between her fingers, and the bridge of her nose with her other hand. The message on the screen before her made no sense.

 _Senator Chuchi,_ _Due to its proximity to your home planet, we would like to inform you that significant deposits of Pyrodium were recently found on Orto Plutonia. As this valuable resource can best be used to benefit the Galactic Empire as a whole, drilling will begin immediately._ _We would like to reassure both you and your people that Pyrodium mining is a safe practice, and as such the operation will be overseen and regulated by Imperial forces._ _We appreciate your compliance with what is best for the Empire as a whole. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at any time._ _Sincerely,_ _Kelen Toriano_ _Senior Resource Procurement Specialist_ _Imperial Mineral Management_

No doubt, this message had _not_ been conveyed to the natives of Oro Plutonia, the Talz. The Galactic Empire seemed to have conveniently forgotten that the Talz were deemed sentient, free-ruling people during the Clone Wars. They had no representation in the Imperial Senate. This message was the Empire's method of tasking her with letting the Talz know that the Empire was going to set up operation on their home planet, whether or not they liked it. And they wouldn't like it. But they also wouldn't have any other choice.

"Er… Senator Chuchi?"

The voice reminded her that she was not in the privacy of her room. It was an odd enough hour, and with the celebrations happening around the city she was pretty much alone in the bar of the complex.

She blinked a few times. "Oh… Ensign Vanto. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

He was an attractive young man, with kind, brown eyes and neatly kept red-brown hair and a friendly face with little spots across his nose and cheekbones. She felt bad for him earlier – it was painfully clear he felt very out of place at the party Yularen had taken him and the Lieutenant to. She had to smile a little at the irony that _he_ felt out of place when the entire time he was standing next to the Lieutenant - a man who most people on this planet wouldn't even really consider a man.

But maybe that was her bias showing.

His soft eyes looked concerned, "Are you alright? I don't mean to interrupt; you were just acting like you might need some painkillers or something. I have some, if you have a headache."

She smiled at him, "Oh. That's very sweet of you. No, I'm alright, but thank you for offering." She slid the datapad closed and inhaled deeply. She needed to get her mind off the message, off this disappointment of an evening. Some polite conversation seemed like a healthy option. "You seem more comfortable in this environment."

He looked around the deserted bar, decorated with cushy leather seats and glossy, marbled countertops.

"Er… yeah. I guess."

She moved to the side, motioning for him to join her. "Please, take a seat. I'm in need of some light conversation. Coruscant isn't your… cup of tea?" She'd heard the idiom her first time on Coruscant and decided she liked it. All these years later, she still felt a little unsure she was correctly utilizing it.

He hesitated, and then sat, placing his beer on the table. "I guess you could say that. It's just very different from what I'm used to."

"How so?"

Again, he hesitated. She found the habit a little comical, like he needed to carefully weigh what he actually wanted to say against what was socially correct for him to say. "I suppose you could say it's a little more… luxurious than what I'm used to."

"That may be a good thing."

"Is it?" He sounded very doubtful. His eyes flicked to the side and he made a brief waving motion. "Thrawn…"

The Lieutenant must have been intending to join his ensign for a drink – Riyo hadn't even noticed him enter the room.

He bowed his head to her, "Senator, it is a surprise to see you again so soon."

This man – Thrawn – she was admittedly a little fascinated with. A nonhuman as an officer in the Imperial Navy? It was unheard of. It really wasn't all that long ago that the military, and the senate for that matter, were very much a reflection of the diversity of the galaxy. Anymore it was unusual to see nonhumans as soldiers, much less officers. And she was one of the very few nonhumans left in the senate.

"Would you care to join us Lieutenant? Your assistant and I were just discussing the peculiarities of Coruscant."

He seated himself with them and requested the bartending droid bring him the same thing Eli was drinking.

"As I was saying, Ensign Vanto, yes, I do think it's a good thing you're a little uncomfortable with Coruscant."

He looked confused. "I'm pretty sure it's something I should just get used to. And you can call me Eli when I'm out of uniform. Please."

"Eli." She laughed at the way he tacked the please onto the end, like requesting to be called by his given name was somehow improper. "I happen to disagree with you. You should not get used to this sort of… excess. Especially as a member of the military. However, you should work on _faking_ being comfortable around it."

The droid returned with Thrawn's drink, buzzing back to its station behind the bar.

Eli groaned, "I don't know… this place is just… I don't know, is your home much different than this as well?"

She smiled, thinking of Pantora's beautifully planned walkways and gardens, high-stretching buildings and hues of pink and blue and maroon. "Well… I am likely biased, but I do think Pantora is much more beautiful than Courscant. My people do place good value on aesthetics. I live in the capitol, it is very metropolitan like Courscant. I would say my people have a better appreciation for nature. I can't remember the last time I actually saw ground on this planet rather than a paved walkway."

"Ah… I see." He took a deep drink.

"Coruscant has always been about who you know and what you can offer people. The key to handling this planet is realizing that you are of great value to its people, even if they haven't realized it yet."

He tried in vain to hide a laugh. "I don't know about that."

She shook her head, "No, you don't realize you _are_ of great value to them for precisely the reason they dismiss you." The words were about to start bubbling out, words many would see as descent in a climate like the current one. But it needed to be said. It was only the three of them, what harm could come of it? "It wasn't long ago that we were all ruled by this beautifully diverse government. It isn't that way anymore. There seems to be some slow, strong effort to push out anything - anyone - who is different. In my opinion, that is a dangerous practice. The galaxy is a huge place, there is no practical way a small, centralized group from one particular area of the galaxy and limited experience with anything outside that area can effectively rule over _everything_. If the Empire is to be a truly effective government, it needs people like you who understand areas and people and cultures outside the realm of what the central ruling hub understands." She tapped the table in front of him, "You are important, not just to them, but to your people and to the Empire as a whole. And the best way for you to demonstrate that is by being exceedingly good at the job you have taken and ignoring them when they dismiss you. Take the high ground for long enough and eventually they will notice. They'll have to notice."

He blinked at her a few times. "I can see why you're a Senator."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Speaking of which," Thrawn interjected, "The Colonel mentioned you have had an interesting career path as a Senator. You were in your early twenties when you began your career?"

She sipped from her glass, twirling the stem between her fingers again, "Not really, I was actually 19 when I was first elected."

"How does a _nineteen year old_ get a seat in the Senate?" Eli asked.

"If I can be honest with you, I'm fairly certain when I look back at the records that it was due to vote manipulation. Not, of course, by my own hand, but by the hand of Pantora's Chairman at the time, a man named Chi Cho. I had always wanted to get into politics, and I was fairly well connected, so I decided to run - more for the experience than anything - when a senate position opened. I knew I didn't stand a chance of actually being elected, but I thought the experience would be good and when the position opened up for re-election in four more years I would actually have a legitimate shot at it."

"But you won." Eli said.

"I did." She clearly remembered the heavy, near unbearable realization that at 19, with no experience, she was now the representative of her people to the galaxy. "I believe that the Chairman saw me as the candidate that could most easily be made into a puppet for him. Admittedly, he wasn't wrong for those first few years. I was quite inexperienced and despite my best efforts made a great deal of mistakes."

"I take it this Chairman is no longer in power?" Thrawn said in an even, calm tone. There was something quite beautiful about his voice, like it was overlaid with a low, soothing hum. It had a hypnotic quality to it.

"No, he was killed in a brief war between my people and the Talz, the people of a neighboring planet. A stupid war, if I may. Any war that can be avoided by simply exchanging words and finding mutual agreement is a stupid war."

She realized she was likely in the wrong company to express such an opinion. Especially with Thrawn - something about his red eyes, the way they nearly appeared to glow – the man seemed downright ferocious. No doubt to obtain his rank as a nonhuman, he must do things they way the Galactic Empire seemed to like doing them: aggressively.

Much to her surprise, he tipped his head to her, "The loss of life is never something one should take lightly. If war can be avoided, it should be."

She sipped her wine again, "Strong words, coming from a man of your position."

"One should not make the mistake of assuming those in military positions _like_ to see war, Senator. On the contrary most hate to see it as they usually have firsthand experience with the horrors it brings."

She felt a pang of guilt. She'd spoken before really considering the opinion she was expressing. The vast governmental changes in the past few years had made her so jaded toward military officials. So much had changed in such a short amount of time.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend either of you. I do understand; some of my closest friends were officers during the Clone Wars. They are all gone now."

"No offense taken, Senator. I am sorry to hear the Clone Wars took people you cared for. It seems most everyone was affected to some degree."

She nodded. "The devastation was… remarkable. I can't think of a better word for it. Everyone lost someone. It was a very dark time." She took another sip. Ahsoka. Skywalker. Kenobi. So many good people were lost during that time. The galaxy as a whole suffered for it. She shook her head. "But I'm sure both of you hear enough talk of war. Let's speak of something less bleak."

"You said your world's senate position is open for re-election every four years?" Thrawn said. "You must have proved yourself a worthy leader of your people after this Chairman was removed from the picture?"

"I suppose I was able to. They've kept me in this position for over a decade now."

"You must really love what you do. It shows." Eli said.

She shook her head, "I find a great deal of purpose in what I do. There is no greater honor than to serve your people, and there is no greater compliment than to have them consistently choose you as a representative of their ideals and interests."

Thrawn's intense red eyes were focused on her. She couldn't read his expression. Not that she'd been able to read any expression on the man's face yet. He was clearly from a very different place, his mannerisms were unreadable, sometimes nonexistent.

Eli, on the other hand, tipped his near-finished beer toward her. "I can drink to that."

She toasted with him and held her glass to Thrawn, "To the betterment of the galaxy, as a whole?"

He didn't move for a moment, and she briefly wondered if he was familiar with the gesture of toasting. She couldn't imagine an individual in the Navy and not becoming quickly familiarized with the gesture.

He picked up his glass and clinked it against hers. "I think the Colonel was correct, your people are lucky to have you."

Next to him, Eli tried to hide a yawn. "Well, I'm sorry, but I think I need to hit the sack. Meeting so many people has worn me out." He stood and nodded to her, "Senator, it's been great speaking with you."

"You as well, Eli. Have a good evening. I hope to hear good news regarding the resolution of your current… predicament."

"Thank you, the thought is really appreciated. Lieutenant Thrawn, should we meet in the foyer tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. Be ready promptly, Ensign."

"Yes, sir."

She wanted to laugh at Eli's tired, slightly intoxicated attempt at being official. She waited until he was just out of earshot. "He's charming. You must feel lucky to have found such a good assistant."

"I did not find Ensign Vanto. He was assigned to me. But yes, I am lucky to have him by my side. My fate has been in his hands on multiple occasions, and he has not once faltered."

"I see. That sort of loyalty is hard to come by."

"It runs deeper than that, I think. It is a matter of dependability, and of honor, and of understanding. Ensign Vanto was assigned to me primarily as my translator when I first joined the Empire. His ability to not just translate my words, but to translate the _intent_ of my words, has been fundamental to my success."

"You rely on him heavily?"

"Yes. It is a relief to know I can trust him."

"I'm sure. Do you mind if I ask a somewhat personal question, Lieutenant?"

He replied with a slight hesitation. "Certainly."

"I'm curious to know why you're in the Imperial Navy? Your home world isn't even part of the Empire."

He paused to consider his answer. When he spoke, his voice was low, more hushed than usual. Like he might be trying to hide something. "There are forces in the galaxy which are truly evil. Some are truly evil and powerful. A centralized, united power is the only option to keep everyone safe."

"Your people couldn't have been that power?"

"The necessity of this power is imminent; the Empire's reach far exceeds that of the Chiss. It is more reasonable to see the Empire as that power."

"How long have you been away from your people?"

"Around five years now."

"Yularen told me you'd been with the Empire for three."

He looked at her silently for a moment, considering his response. He turned his intense gaze away from her. "I was exiled from my home world when the Empire found me."

It was the clearest expression she'd seen on him yet: sadness. She was curious to know more – why was he exiled? But his expression was a clear indication it was a sore subject for him. She didn't press.

"I'm very sorry to hear that."

He finished off his drink and pushed the glass toward the center of the table. "I'm afraid I need to return to my quarters for some rest."

She finished her drink as well. "I should be off as well, do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Not at all."

She grabbed her datapad and they walked to the elevator together. "So… you needed a translator when you first joined the Navy?"

"I did. I spoke some Basic. But my grammar was frequently incorrect and my vocabulary was quite limited." He paused. "It still is. It is good to have Ensign Vanto to help."

"What language did you speak?"

"Sy Bisti, it is a trade language used heavily in that area of the galaxy. Ensign Vanto's family owns a shipping company and therefore is quite familiar with the language. Unfortunately the language is uncommon among Imperials, so he was tasked with being my translator."

Her datapad pinged in her arms, lighting up. She didn't want to seem rude, but messages this time of evening usually had some urgency to them. She flipped it open.

 _Senator Chuchi,_ _The Empire set up a drilling base on Orto Plutonia without our knowing. We recently received correspondence from the Talz leadership that they were also unaware of the development until the drilling began. As you are well aware, the Talz do not take well to outsiders on their territory…_

She snapped it closed, inhaling deeply. She knew exactly where the message was going. The Talz were plotting to attack the Imperial base, if they hadn't already attacked it. They may even suspect the Pantorans of supporting the development.

The Empire would wipe them out, with ease.

She didn't notice how quiet the elevator had grown until Thrawn spoke. "Your people are troubled?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's not my… well, maybe it is." She looked at him. He gave off just the slightest air of confusion. "I don't know how to explain this succinctly. The area of the galaxy my home world is located in is populated very largely by nonhumans. The primary inhabitants are my people, and the Talz. My people are the only ones in that sector that have representation in the Senate."

"The Talz have not allied themselves with the Empire?"

She hesitated. "If I can be blunt, the Talz would never be accepted by the Empire. They don't have a large population, mostly residing in small villages on a planet in the sector. And they're not like… they're not like you or I. We are lucky enough to look somewhat human, so I think in the current political climate it's easier for species like ours to gain at least some level of acceptance by the Empire. The Talz are very… tall, hairy…"

"Like Wookiees?"

"Yes, only with more eyes and a… sort of hose-like mouth." She shook her head, "The point is, they are sentient and they do rule the planet they reside on, however the Empire has done nothing to acknowledge their existence. In some odd fashion, I have become the de facto representative of their people, because nobody else is able to give them a voice. Anyhow, it recently came to the attention of the Empire that the Talz's planet has great natural gas resources, so they made the decision to begin a drilling operation on the planet."

"Without first approaching the Talz?"

"Yes." She sighed, "This is an issue as the Talz are very tribal, territorial people. They've taken great offense to the unannounced presence of the Empire…"

"And so they intend on defending their home."

"Yes." Why was she discussing this with a military official?

"Do their people not stand to benefit from the Empire's use of the gas?"

"They likely could benefit from it, but can you imagine? If someone just… knocked down your fence and started drilling in your back yard without your permission?"

Thrawn made no response.

She sighed. "I will have to return to Pantora tomorrow to dissolve this situation. I pity them, having to use me as their representative when I'm not even one of their people."

"You seem to understand their desires. If you act in their best interest, the fact that you are not of the same species will not matter."

She suspected he was speaking from experience.

"May I ask you a personal question, Senator?"

"You can."

"It seems the Empire's ideals conflict with your own, and that of your people. It is clear that much of the Empire harbors ill will toward all nonhumans in general. If this government does not serve your people, why do you choose to be a part of it?"

She had to think for a moment. It seemed like a trick question. Was he asking her why she and her people don't join the rebellion? Surely it was a trap.

"I don't make the choice, my people do. They believe that turning away from the Empire would be even worse. Frankly, I tend to agree with them."

His eyes were uncomfortably intense. "Explain, please."

"My job is to serve the interests of my people. My people have no interest in becoming targets of the Imperial military forces because they succeed from the Empire. That serves no one well. I fear the direction this government is heading, but at the same time it is my job to make sure my people are safe, that they are free, and that they are capable of leading full, fair lives. Being a part of the Empire is their best chance at that."

He looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded. She got the impression that he understood, and maybe that he respected her choice. Or maybe she was just telling herself that.

The elevator came to a stop. They both stepped into the hallway.

"There is a saying among my people… roughly translated, that wisdom does not go by the age of your body, but by the age of your…" He paused. "Essence?"

"Soul?"

He shook his head, "I'm not familiar with that term, so I cannot verify if it is correct. I don't know that the meaning can be translated."

"I think you may be trying to call me an old soul. You wouldn't be the first to."

"Oh?"

"Part of me fears that by the time my body is old my soul will be ancient." She laughed at her terrible joke.

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"Let's hope not."

A silence fell between them as they walked the hallway.

He paused before a door, turning to her, "Your residence is on this floor as well?"

She crossed her arms, hugging the datapad to her chest. "No."

He looked at her. He blinked.

Did he not understand? How did he not understand? Everything would have gone just fine if he just understood. She didn't want to spell it out. She was used to being bold, her job called for it on a regular basis, so why did she still struggle with boldness in situations like this?

She could feel her face growing hot.

"Oh."

Again, one of the few readable expressions he let on: surprise.

His eyes scanned the empty hallway. He muttered something under his breath that she couldn't understand. "Would that… be wise?"

Another expression: worry.

She shook her head, "I'm not going to get involved with your hearing. I think it's a matter I'm best staying away from, especially considering the news I've received about gas mining on Oro Plutonia. So nobody could misconstrue this for anything other than what it is. Half the senate's involved with military officials and bankers anyway. It wouldn't be any different."

He looked at her for a few long moments. "Would it not?"

He was right – it absolutely would be different. Because they were different.

"I'm a careful person – you have to be in my position. There's nobody around, the chances of anyone finding out are negligible. Anyway, if you really think this would be the first time someone attempted to blackmail me with my personal activities, you'd be quite wrong. I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself. The only question here is whether or not you can."

He raised an eyebrow.

Her face grew even warmer. "… Handle yourself – I mean – Weather or not you'd be able to cope with any fallout that may happen."

The slightest hint of a smile twitched on the edge of his lips. He opened the door and guided her inside.


	3. Chapter 3

_Sharing one's bed with an equal is a deeply rooted biological necessity for many beings. It gives one a sense of belonging, of value, and of self-worth. The importance of such intimacy for the health of an individual and for a society as a whole should not be underestimated or dismissed._

 _Sharing one's bed with a superior individual will convince you that you can conquer the galaxy, even if the feeling is only momentary._

 _The latter was the case with Riyo Chuchi._

* * *

 __She lingered in his bed after. He didn't really mind; it was late and she seemed just as exhausted as he. He could barely remember the last time he'd been intimate with anyone. Before he left Csilla. It had been some time. _  
_

 _Her breathing is soft, relaxed and even._ In some bizarrely comforting gesture of affection, she placed her hand on the side of his face and ran her thumb gently along his lower eyelid.

Affection. It wasn't something he was seeking. It certainly wasn't what he'd been sent here for. Further, he wasn't expecting it from her. She was soft, elegant, caring, but for her to express such affection toward him – it seemed misplaced.

This act presented enough problems on its own. What if there was surveillance? What if someone had seen them? If this were known by someone with power they may see it as an opportunity to blackmail him. Worse, they may see it as an opportunity to blackmail her.

And yet, lying on his back with her fingers running gently below his eyelashes, he felt very much at peace. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on her touch. His mind began to drift.

 _She inhales deeply, slowly, and pulls herself closer to him, her nose next to his ear, her lips brushing gently against his cheek._ It was enough to make his mind stir – he'd been fixated on her lips since he first saw her. First, he had taken notice to how beautifully shaped they were, expressive, perfectly suited to her face. Then, he'd heard the words that came from them - honorable, wise, noble words. And then she'd used them on him, against his skin, against his own lips. _Kissing_ , he'd heard the word before, an act unfamiliar to the Chiss, which had stuck him as simply unsanitary the first time he'd witnessed it at a party on Coruscant. She made him realize the error in his original assessment of the act.

Her lips parted with a slight inhale and this time it wasn't just his mind that stirred.

She spoke softly, her mouth moving against his skin, which suddenly seemed hypersensitive. "You don't really serve them do you? You still serve your own people."

The silence that followed lasted four heavy, drawn out seconds. She was guessing. There was no way… no possible way she could actually know.

Her thumb ran across his closed lashes again. "These markings - under your eyes - they're not natural. They're ink, laid into your skin, just like mine. I can feel it, the skin is raised slightly. They're familial markings. If your people had ostracized you, if they had truly exiled you, they would have taken them from you."

She was right. If ever a Chiss had done something terrible enough to be exiled, their markings would have been removed.

She pressed her lips to the crook of his neck. There's an artery there, as there is with many living creatures across the galaxy. It was a venerable spot – he'd seen predators take advantage of it many times in the short period he was kept on that deserted planet, catching their enemy by the neck during a fight, sometimes to kill, sometimes to demonstrate superiority.

Her lips pressed to the spot were soft and gentle and nothing like a bite, but evoked a wholly similar, instinctual reaction in him.

"Your secret is safe with me. I think it is honorable."

He let himself exhale, his eyes just barely opening.

"You make the mistake of projecting your own culture onto mine."

"Mm?" She pushed herself up slightly, so her face was above his, looking down on him. Her lavender hair fell around him, like some sort of veil blocking the two of them off from the rest of the world. "Elaborate."

He let his hand wander to her waist, his fingers tracing along her smooth skin. "Chuchi is your family name, am I correct?"

"It is."

"Such naming conventions seem commonplace in this section of the galaxy, be it at the beginning or end of the individual's given name. The Chiss have a somewhat similar structure, with three part names. As an example, my full name is Mitth'raw'nuruodo."

 _Her lids fall slightly heavy over her eyes when he pronounces his full name, her facial glow increases just slightly. Something about his name intrigues her._

"The first section – Mitth - is my family name. The middle – raw – is my given name. And the final section – nuruodo – denotes my place within Chiss society."

"Similar to a caste? A mark of social status?"

"No. Perhaps a better word would be an occupation."

Her golden eyes studied him for a few long moments. She ran her thumb along the red mark again.

"So these are the markings of a warrior."

 _Her voice indicates no question. She understands._


	4. Chapter 4

"Congratulations, Commander." Eli saluted the newly promoted Chiss. He bit back his disappointment – again, he'd been passed over for promotion.

"Thank you." Thrawn must have sensed his trouble, because he frowned a little. "It troubles me that you have not received one as well."

Eli, of course, knew exactly why he'd been passed again. The answer was looking him in the face, with glowing red eyes. He shook his head, "I'm sure it will happen when they think I'm ready, sir."

Thrawn didn't respond as they started down the hallway. "It seems we will be here for some time. They expect repairs to the ship to take four weeks."

He was about to reply, when a familiar purple-haired woman caught his eye. "Is that Riyo Chuchi?" She was standing across the hallway, chatting with a fellow senator. "It is! We should go say hello, we haven't seen her in ages."

He strode across the hallway to her quickly – she cracked a smile when she noticed him.

"Senator Chuchi, I'm sorry to interrupt, I thought we should say a quick hello."

Where did Thrawn go? He wasn't at his side, like he was moments ago.

"Eli Vanto, it's lovely to see you again."

"How are you?"

"I'm doing very well." Her attention turned a little, "Captain Thr… Oh. It looks like you've been promoted." Her smile widened. "Congratulations, Commander."

Thrawn, who was lagging behind for some reason, had finally joined them.

He nodded, "Thank you, Senator."

"It has been awhile since I've seen either of you," she said. "I've heard tales trickle back here of your successes. Admittedly, I smile a little to myself when I hear someone speaking of a mysterious, brilliant Pantoran naval officer."

Thrawn lingered after Eli dismissed himself.

"I assume it was not a lucky coincidence that you happened to be at the end of the hallway just as my promotion ceremony dismissed?"

"I would be disappointed had you not realized." When she heard news of them returning, she told herself to just ignore it. It was one night, over a year ago, and it meant nothing.

But then, there's something about him that interests her.

"I assume you'll have some social event you're required to attend this evening?"

He hesitated. "I do."

Riyo shook her head quickly, "I wasn't asking for an invite, I was…"

"It occurred to me that it might be much more enjoyable if you did accompany me."

She looked at him for a moment. If she could ever just read an expression…

"It was simply a thought that occurred to me, Senator. I'm not fond of such public displays, and I do think it would be unwise for both of us. "

"I appreciate the thought." She did, really. "I'm sorry this can't be…"

"There is no need to apologize."

She could feel her face growing hot again as she spoke, quietly: "I'm staying on the 350th floor of the same complex as last time. Room 20. You're welcome to visit after your celebration." 

* * *

She realized, with some small sense of regret, that she would never be able to rent this apartment again. She always rented this one, a nice corner unit with a pleasant view of the city and a beautiful garden on the deck.

She'd never be able to use it again because of this chair. She regularly had guests visit her apartment when she was on Coruscant, for drinks and light business-related conversation. Now, she didn't know if she could bear to see anyone else sitting in it.

It was the way he looked, as she sat in the chair, Thrawn on his knees before her with his bare, wide shoulders draped over her lap, his arms hugging around her waist keeping her close, nibbling gently at the skin around her waist.

She had intended for them to make it to the bedroom. He apparently had other plans.

She ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it back enough to see his face. He let out a low humming noise, something between a growl and a wine, like he was begging for more.

"We could move to the bedroom."

He turned slightly, his eye barely open as he looked up at her. His eyes… in the dark room, lit only by the streetlights from outside the window, the almost appeared to glow. Maybe they did. Or maybe it was just that they were such a striking color.

"This isn't sufficient for you?"

She wondered if there was a translation problem.

He smirked in a devious, knowing way and pulled her off the chair, onto the floor. Onto him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Having purpose, a goal, a driving force that guides your decisions, that gives you reason and meaning, is essential to a full life, and to a healthy mind. Any distraction from that primary purpose should be viewed as a nuisance. It is the only way to reach achievement on the highest levels._

 _Riyo understood this. That was why it worked.  
_

* * *

He sat in the chair, watching her scurry around the room looking for her clothing. She located her underwear and pulled them on.

They were white, brilliant against her blue skin, with an ornate, lace-like pattern that, he deduced, cut across her rear in just the right place to emphasize the curve of her hips. It was an unusual design, he tried to remember if he'd ever seen anything quite like it.

She pulled her pants on. His focus returned to her face. "It was good to see you again, Riyo."

She paused putting her shirt on and went to him with a little smile, leaning forward to him and kissing his lips. "It was good to see you as well, Thrawn. You know you can reach out to me any time you're on Coruscant?"

He returned the gesture. He was starting to get used to it. Kissing. "I am not certain that is a good idea. I rarely come to Coruscant."

 _Her eyebrows pinch together. She frowns. She's confused._ "What does that have to do with it?"

"I don't like to presume. What if you were to find someone while I was gone?"

Her lips dropped open slightly, "Oh. Well. I appreciate your concern. That won't happen though."

"It won't? How can you be so sure?"

"Do you think I need something like that?"

"No, but you certainly could not convince me that you do not have suitors."

 _Her nose wrinkled at the word. Her lips grew tight._ "If I can be blunt, I don't have time for such matters. I have a moon to represent." Her face softened. "It was a nice thought, but like I said, you can contact me whenever you are here. I would be more disappointed if you didn't."

"You are certain?"

"I wouldn't have requested it if I weren't."

He hooked his fingers into the waist of her pants and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her again. "You look good in white." 

* * *

Riyo was to the senate something very similar to what he was to the Imperial Navy. Someone to be dismissed, ignored… but too good at what she did to actually push out. He watched her career from afar, while he was aboard ships across the galaxy and she was on Coruscant, and Pantora, fighting for her people.

There were rumors of every sort. Oddly, none pertaining to him. The worst was that she was in league with the Rebels, due to an obscure friendship with a young Jedi during the Clone Wars. They launched a full scale investigation into her activities, probing every nook and cranny of her life to find something that appeared to be a connection. They found nothing.

There was an attempt to rig the election when her position opened up again. Thanks to some information leaked to anti-corruption officials, the culprit was exposed and a fair election took place. If anything, news of the conspiracy swayed her people to support her even more strongly.

Riyo was a smart woman. It didn't take her long to figure out where the leak came from. A few months after the investigation ended he received a package aboard his ship – a beautiful piece of white cloth, embroidered with swirls of navy and hints of gold. His first piece from Pantora. He'd read about these blocks of cloth, the years of training the artists went through before their work was considered worthy. They were considered heirlooms. Rarely seen off Pantora, certainly never given to a non-Pantoran.

Every time he returned to Coruscant in the years to come, she was there. Sometimes they met in his quarters. Sometimes they met in hers. It was always a relief to be with her, after the extravagance of Coruscant and the unfamiliar pressure of its politics, to have something familiar but exhilarating, to speak with her in a way he couldn't speak with most.

They never spoke of his work. She seemed to realize he couldn't. She never asked. But she did speak of her work, from time to time.

"You didn't have to track down that information." She kissed him, running her fingers along his shoulder. "I don't know where you could have found the time to do that _and_ make Grand Admiral. Thank you. And congratulations."

Word of his promotion spread quickly - he'd only received it yesterday. Everyone he spoke to seemed to know, and everyone wanted to congratulate him. He was, of course, grateful. But he wanted to discuss something different. "It was unjust. I was happy to help. They are trying very hard to push you out."

"It worries me."

"As it should." He paused. "You should make an appearance with me. Publicly. If they associate the two of us, they are more likely to let you be. Rumors are strong of your supposed association with Rebel cells. My presence would dissolve any of those rumors."

"I'm not involved with the Rebellion."

"I have never doubted that. My point stands – you could benefit a great deal from being publicly associated with me."

She sat upright in the bed, frowning at him. "I will not use you as a shield, not for my people or myself."

"Even if you all would benefit from it?"

"Are you not afraid of what I might do to your reputation?"

"No." She was changing the subject. He sat upright and pulled her close again. "I think it would be wise of you to take my offer. You have always stood for your people before yourself. Do not let your pride cloud your judgment."

"Pride?" _Her eyebrows knit and the edges of her mouth soften._ "You think I'm… embarrassed to be seen publicly with you?"

"I think you are afraid to be seen as weak if you're associated with anyone in such a manner."

Her expression broke. "No. That's not… no."

"Then what is it?"

"It's… well it's a multitude of issues. I have come under so much fire lately. I fear that us being associated my cause you problems."

He kissed her. "My offer stands. I can deal with any consequences that may come my way. But I urge you to keep the best interests of your people in mind. It is a tenant of your very being, to serve them. By betraying that, you are betraying yourself."


	6. Chapter 6

"I told you you'd look good in white." Yularen said with a smirk.

"It was quite unexpected." Thrawn said, dressed in his new, perfectly pressed white uniform. The evening had been filled with all sorts of people congratulating Thrawn on his new promotion. Eli was happy they were able to get some time with Yularen - someone he knew and respected.

"It is very well deserved. Vanto, you must be pleased with this development?"

He nodded, "Yes, sir. It's an honor to be able to assist the Grand Admiral."

"I hear news that you might be re-stationed..."

Eli couldn't help but notice Thrawn's expression change just slightly as Yularen spoke. Not at what he was saying, but at something he was watching, across the room.

"Yes, it seems that is the Emperor's desire for my fleet. Excuse me for a moment…"

He stepped around them and strode across the room.

Eli nearly spilled his drink when he saw – Thrawn was walking toward Riyo Chuchi, who must have just entered the room. She, as usual, was stunning, wearing a soft maroon gown.

"Is that Senator Chuchi?" Yularen asked, her eyes narrowing at the two with a curious smirk. "I think she's been avoiding events lately. Not that anyone can blame her."

Eli had heard of the Senator's problems over the past few years, and was completely certain that all of it was undeserved. She was a target, just like Thrawn. Maybe that's why he'd garnered such a deep respect for her. She was like the political parallel of Thrawn, fighting to be taken seriously in a sea of people ready to dismiss anything and everything they did.

There was something odd between the two, watching them speak. The way she looked up at him… how closely they stood together…

They both turned to make their way back to he and Yularen, and Thrawn put a hand (neatly, calmly, subtly) on her back, guiding her along.

Eli choked on his drink. _Riyo Chuchi? Really?_

"Eli Vanto, it's so good to see you again." She smiled at him.

"Admiral, I hate to tell you this, but your date has shown up your new outfit." Yularen took her hand and kissed it. "It's lovely to see you again , dear."

 _Flirtatious bastard._

"Oh." Riyo's face flushed a darker shade of blue. "Unfortunately I was running a little late due to a last minute senate hearing. I'm glad I was able to make it though."

As the conversation carried on, Eli wondered how he'd never noticed this relationship before. He spent so much time around the man, how could he not have picked up on something like this happening?

"Eli?" She looked like she was either concerned or amused. Possibly both.

He cleared his throat, "Yes… Right. What were you saying?"

"Are you growing used to these events?"

"Ah… no."

She laughed, "Well you are getting better at faking it."

"I hope so, I've had enough practice. How have you been? It's been awhile."

"It has been awhile, hasn't it? I've been…" She hesitated. In retrospect, it felt like an awful question. Everyone knew she'd been under a good deal of pressure lately. "Busy. Very busy."

"You've handled it all spectacularly well, if my opinion counts for anything."

"It does. Thank you. I do feel like the past few years have been a test, but I'm quite happy to still be here."

"Thank the stars for the leak that exposed the fraud in your last election…" As the words came out of his mouth he realized how foolish they were. With Thrawn standing next to her, it was suddenly very obvious where the leak had come from.

She quirked a small smile, "Yes, I owe a big favor to the mysterious stranger that found that information." She paused, looking across the room. "Oh… I think I see Shesha Roy over there - I need to go say hello to her. You'll have to excuse me. We'll speak more later, Eli."

He swore she floated across the room to Roy, a Colonel in the Imperial Navy whom she apparently knew.

"And I see a director I need to have a word with. Congratulations again, Grand Admiral." Yularen dismissed himself.

Thrawn watched after him with narrow eyes. "I'm afraid I don't know the use of that word he chose."

"What?"

"Date."

"Ah. Oh." This was above his pay grade. "It's what you call a person you bring to an event… if there's a… er… romantic nature to the relationship?"

"Oh." A brief, fleeting smile flickered across his face.

"Is that… accurate?"

"Perhaps."

He tried desperately to get a read on Thrawn's expression. Amusement. That was about all he got.

A sandy haired Colonel had joined her conversation with Shesha Roy, an Colonel and long time friend of hers. He held his hand out to her, "Bram Ogski, it's a pleasure to meet you, Senator." 

* * *

"Bram and I went to academy together," Shesha explained, laughing. "Eons ago, it seems like."

Bram had the sort of smile she didn't like. It was a little too forced. There was no sincerity behind it. "You are here with the newly appointed Grand Admiral, correct?"

She smiled stiffly. "I am here with him." She could see Shesha trying far too hard to hide a smile. She'd at least been polite enough to not press for information.

"That's lovely." Bram grinned. "It's nice he's found someone in these parts he can identify with. It's sort of cute. You two match."

She wanted to heave a disgusted sigh.

"How long have you been with him?"

Much to her relief, Shesha finally cut in. "There's no need for that question, Bram. Stop it."

He shrugged innocently, "What? I'm just asking. I mean it's surprising, isn't it? She's this outspoken pacifist people think might be in league with the Rebels and he just got promoted to Grand Admiral for wiping out a couple thousand civilians…"

Shesha's smile dropped. "Bram. Shut the hell up."

The two bickered for a moment. She couldn't really hear what they were saying. A couple thousand dying under Thrawn's watch was hard enough to believe, but that was the nature of his position. She understood that. But civilians?

"There have been conflicting reports. Nothing official has been released." Shesha tried to sound reassuring. It didn't work.

Conflicting reports. If it were anyone else, she would know exactly what that meant: It happened, in the worst way possible, and the Empire was trying to spin it in their favor.

But _he_ wouldn't do that.

Would he?

"I've heard a bunch of the higher-ups are livid with his promotion." Bram rattled on.

She inhaled deeply, looking directly at the sly man. "I am certain the leadership of the Empire has everyone's best interests at heart. They assessed the situation given information that none of us have access to and made the decision based on what they thought was suitable."

He quirked an eyebrow. "So… you're okay with that?"

"As I said, I trust the judgment of our leadership. You would be wise to do the same. You would also be wise to watch what you say about your superiors. Now, if you will please excuse me, I think I'm done with this conversation."

She slipped out the door, her stomach in knots. There was no way... He would never... He wasn't that sort of person, he wasn't really one of them...

"Riyo?" She didn't make it ten steps before she heard Thrawn's voice. "Are you leaving?"

She wanted to just ignore him, to keep walking, but a searing, awful pain in her chest made her stop and turn to him. She inhaled deeply. Making a scene here wouldn't help her. She gathered herself and looked up at him. "Is it true? What they're saying in there? Civilians?"

He was quiet for a moment. That unreadable expression. "Riyo…"

"How many?"

"Riyo, I can't speak of it, the matter is still classified."

"Well, the Imperial Navy needs to get their people under control if it truly is classified, because there's a good deal of people in there talking about it. How many?"

He didn't respond.

"They're saying a couple thousand." She shook her head, stepping back from him. "Thrawn... please... please tell me..."

He didn't reply.

It felt like someone was taking a blender to her chest. She shook her head, feeling like she was going to get sick. "Who do you work for?"

Again, no reply.

"I thought I knew… I thought I had some idea of where your loyalties were."

"Riyo, you don't understand…"

"I may not, but you are certainly not helping me understand either. How… _How_ could you do such a thing? And to not tell me… to come to me last night and lay in my bed with me and ask me to be seen in public with you and not tell you've just slaughtered thousands of civilians? On a personal level, it's a heinous thing to have to deal with. On a much larger level, I now have to explain to my people what I've been doing sleeping around with a genocidal maniac." She couldn't prevent her voice from growing to a near snarl at the end.

And like that, there was an expression she recognized – the same one he had when he told her of leaving his people. Sorrow.

On one hand, it sliced into her like a cold knife. This face that she'd become so familiar with, that she adored for so many years now… it hurt to see him appear distraught. On the other hand, she'd love nothing more than to tear that look from his face and stomp it into the ground. For what he did to those people. For what he's done to her.

As if the moment couldn't get any worse, Eli came out of the building. He immediately realized his intrusion, freezing.

Maybe it was good for him to hear. Probably. She regained her composure and built herself upright. The gesture had the effect she hoped for – Thrawn flinched back just a little. Not enough for Eli to tell, but she saw it. "I thought with people like you in such powerful positions, there was still hope for this Empire. Clearly I was quite incorrect. I don't know that I or my people have a place here."

There was nothing else left to say. She turned and left.

"What does that mean?" His tone – deep, layered – was gravely serious.

She paused. "That means that I – and by in part, the Pantorans – am done with this monstrosity of a government."

Nothing more. She stepped away.

His hand caught her wrist, pulling her back.

There was another expression, entirely new to his face. It took her a moment to recognize it: fear.

"You do not realize what you are doing, Riyo. Do not let your people leave the Empire."

"That is not my say. My people do as they please and I carry out their will. They've been talking of leaving for some time. They will now have my support on that path."

"No. Riyo, if you have that much influnce over them, then will _them_ to stay."

"You're disgusting." She tore her wrist from him, but he was too fast for her, grabbing her again and pulling her back, his fingers tight around her wrist. "Riyo. Listen to me. You do not realize what is at stake. I am not asking you to approve of me. If you wish, you may never speak to me again. But listen to me when I say this: Do not let your people defy the Empire. They will be in greater danger than ever."

Some part of her wanted to trust him. The part that was still attached to him, despite what she'd just learned.

He pleaded one last time: "Please. If you value your people -– their lives - do not let them leave."

She ripped away from him again, leaving without another word.


	7. Chapter 7

Riyo sat across from Chairman Papanoida – Chi Eekway, that was – she had succeeded her father for the title several years prior. Chi's office was situated atop a tall building in the center of Pantora's capitol, with wide windows looking out over the beautifully designed city. It was a breathtaking view, to say the least.

She'd known Chi for years, since her early days as a senator. That made this whole thing somewhat easier.

The woman smiled at her, "I wasn't expecting you back from Coruscant so soon, Riyo." She quirked an eyebrow, "Your… er… outing with that Grand Admiral has been feeling the news outlets here…"

Riyo frowned. "Yes. Well. I encourage you to ignore the reports, it was nothing."

She tapped on a datapad, "I thought it might be something we need to discuss. This man has quite the reputation. Have you seen how many times he's been court marshaled? I mean…" She paused when a candid photo of Riyo and Thrawn at the event flashed onto the screen of her datapad. "Well. I guess I can't really blame you too much… He's certainly... appealing... What's wrong with his eyes?"

"Chi." She swiped the pad from her hands, turning it off. "That's not what I'm here to discuss, but if you'd like some sort of closure, I can assure you it's nothing you will ever have to worry about in the future."

Chi looked at her across the desk for a moment. "That bad?"

"This topic is no longer up for discussion. Chi, I'm here to resign my position as Pantora's senator."

Her voice dropped. "What?"

She spread her fingers on the desk, "I know this seems sudden…"

"Sudden? Not at all, really." She started talking faster, excited by the prospect. "Riyo, you know Pantora has been split on staying with the Empire or leaving for quite some time. You've been such an outspoken proponent of staying – if you're now changing your mind, I think the people of Pantora will follow you. This could be what we need to…"

"No." Riyo cut her off. "Pantora needs to stay with the Empire."

Her mouth hung open for a moment. "What? I'm sorry Riyo, I'm terribly confused. Why exactly are you resigning?"

Riyo inhaled deeply. "While I was on Coruscant, I began to have… concerns about the direction the Empire is heading in. Very deep concerns. You know very well this has been on my mind for some time. I was very convinced that it was time for Pantora to leave the Empire. So I went to seek some advice from an old friend – do you remember the Alderaanian senator, Bail Organa?"

Chi nodded. "I do."

"Chi… I want you to know that I only bring this up with you because you are one of my oldest friends. I know I can trust you. And I also know that you have been a heavy proponent of leaving the Empire for some time. There are… a few worlds out there who operate under the Empire, but lend aid to the Rebellion."

Chi leaned forward on her desk, raising her eyebrows. "What are you suggesting Riyo?"

She lowered her voice – not that she needed to, but for some reason it made her feel better. "Listen, Chi, you and I both know the Empire cannot last. There's so much instability as is. And our people – they deserve better than this. But sometimes… sometimes it's most efficient to tear a machine apart from the inside."

"You're saying Pantora should remain allied with the Empire publicly, but work with the Rebellion?"

"Alderaan has been operating as such for some time now. The Rebellion needs resources in this area. They need ships, and they need a base."

"Riyo, where would we possibly harbor something like that? Pantora is relatively small…"

She shook her head, "That's the best part. Pantora doesn't have to host them. The Empire left a massive, deserted mining operation on Oro Plutonia. And god knows the Talz aren't fond of the Empire – they'd be more than willing to lend their resources."

It was a good idea. Chi knew this. She leaned back in her chair, tilting her head up a little. "That is… interesting."

"Here is my proposal: I will officially resign my position tomorrow. We can spin some story that I was asked to leave – make it look like the government of Pantora isn't pleased with my actions as of late. Say it has something to do with my appearance that that event. I don't really care. Then replace me with someone passive, someone who won't rock the boat in the Imperial senate, someone more or less invisible. I'll "retire" to some humanitarian position – people will buy that. In reality, I'll act as a liaison between the people of Pantora and Oro Plutonia, and the Rebellion." She shook her head. "We can aid the Rebellion right under their noses and they'll never know until it's too late." 

* * *

Immediately after her resignation, there was a flood of press. Everyone wanted to know – why? Was it her decision? Was it the decision of the Pantoran counsel? She kept a good face about it publicly, but left an open implication that she had not left the position by her own will. The rumor caught, and took months to die down.

She kept her head low and became the face of a charitable organization that "worked to provide medical relief to remote and poverty-stricken areas". What her organization really did was give her a free pass to travel back and forth to Oro Plutonia as often as she needed, without arousing any suspicion.

The Talz, as she expected, were completely in support of lending the abandoned mines to the Rebellion. And in less than two years, they had an entire operation up and running. A fleet of Rebel ships stayed stationed around the planet, and a full base operation ran out of the old mines.

Pantora lent aid as it was able to – while they'd never excelled in defense, they could offer medical aid, political influence, and that all important resource: money.

It was, without a doubt, the most rewarding thing she'd done in a very long time. She felt alive again, working for a cause that she knew, at the very core of her being, was right.

And it was rewarding in another way as well, in a way she never would have expected in her wildest dreams. It came in the form of a rekindled friendship, with someone she thought was long gone. She couldn't believe it, when she saw the Togruta woman standing before her. It couldn't have been Ahsoka. Ahsoka had died years ago, along with the others. Surely it was just a similar woman… with the same coloring… and the same montral markings…

She grinned at Riyo.

Oh stars, it _was_ her.

"Y… You're alive?"

Ahsoka scooped her into a tight hug, "Yes… Riyo, it's so good to see you again…"

Riyo could barely speak. "No. No, it's good to see _you_." She stepped back from the woman, feeling dizzy. "How… where… what…"

Ahsoka grinned, "I thought you were supposed to be a good speaker? Or have your skills gotten rusty since you gave up your position in the Senate?"

"I can't believe you're alive. I thought…" Her voice caught and she made herself stop.

True to form, she laughed. "Sometimes I can't believe it either." She shrugged. "But hey, I'm going to be here for awhile. So I think we're going to have plenty of time to catch up." 

* * *

Riyo hurried around her apartment trying to get ready for the day. She had a full schedule ahead – she needed to swing by the headquarters of her charity for a brief appearance, then needed to make her way to Oro Plutonia with a stash of medical supplies, after which she was slated to meet with the admiral of the base to discuss further expansion of the Rebellion's presence in the area. And after all that, she and Ahsoka were supposed to meet for drinks and stories. They'd spent a good deal of time the past few weeks since she'd reappeared swapping stories, but Ahsoka had once been her closest friend. Twenty years of catching up took time.

Sitting on her counter top, her datapad lit up with a message. And another. And another.

Evidently, she was much needed today.

She checked it – it pinged with a fourth message. All four from the same source – not a recognized contact in her system, but a random number. She ignored it and went to find her hairpiece.

It buzzed with another message. And another. And another.

She pinned her hair back with the golden hairpiece and grabbed the datapad as she walked to the door. It received another message. All of them were from the same unknown number.

Curiosity overtook her as her transport made its way to the headquarters. She'd received three more messages from the same number in the time it took her to get seated. She clicked the first message to open it. It contained no text, not even a signature block. All that it had was an attachment, labeled with one word: Batonn.

She opened another message. It was the same thing. All the messages contained the exact same document.

Batonn. She'd tried to forget about it. More than anything, she wanted to put it all behind her. Batonn and Thrawn. And the years she'd spent with him. It was all in the past. She didn't want to remember any of it.

Another of the same message came through. She turned off her datapad.

The trip from Pantora to Oro Plutonia took three hours. She kept herself busy for the first few hours, but toward the end of the trip things died down and curiosity overcame her. She turned the datapad on.

She had 67 more messages from the same unknown contact, all with the same attachment. She moved to a private room on the ship and opened the attachment. 

* * *

"Miss Chuchi, it's wonderful to see you again." The Lieutenant greeted her as he always did when she stepped off the ship and onto the Rebel base. She barely noticed – her mind was buzzing, reeling from what she'd just read.

"Tano. I need to speak to Tano. Do you know where she is?"

He looked at her blankly. "Er… yeah, I think I saw her working on a ship earlier near the launch pad…"

"Good. Take me to her. Now."

They hurried off.

Ahsoka frowned when she saw Riyo. "What's wrong?"

Riyo felt her mouth hanging open. Where to even begin? "Ahsoka… I need to ask you a _huge_ favor."

She hesitated. "Of course. What do you need?"

"I need you to get me onto the Imperial base on Lothol."

Her frown deepened. "Ah… what? Lothol? What do you need to go to Lothol for?"

She shook her head, "I owe someone very important a very big apology…"


	8. Chapter 8

_Countless cultures and beings across the galaxy report similar experiences before death. They say that time slows, that in those final moments one sees their entire life flash before their eyes. It is said that at the very end one feels peace, that right before one dies they remember something calming, something that leaves them with a sense of tranquility._

 _When I died, the last thing I remembered was her lips._

* * *

Ruhk.

The bastard.

He tried to push himself upright a few times, but the bleeding was too intense. The pain was too much. His head was too light. He collapsed to the floor.

He vaguely heard far-off voices. He recognized them; the voices of a few of his crew members.

 _It's done?_

And Ruhk's growl-like voice: _Yeah._

 _Good. Leave him. We'll make sure nobody finds him until morning. Thank you. You've done the Empire a great service. The Emperor will make sure you are compensated for your service._

So that's what this was. Betrayal. Since he'd discovered Palpatine's secret project – that monstrous weapon – there had been something of a rift between he and the Emperor. Palpatine found his curiosity – and worse, his ability to analyze such a complex situation and discover the evidence on his own - objectionable. Evidently, he thought he knew too much.

He heard their footsteps, leaving him. There was only one reason they would leave. The deed was done.

He must be dead.

His mind faded.

 _Thrawn?_

His name was pronounced so distinctly – with a hard, rolling sound and extra emphasis on the –aw. He recognized it immediately. Of course this was what he'd hear right before he died. His mind, guilt tripping him. To some extent, though, it was also a reward. To hear her voice one last time…

 _Thrawn!_

No, it was definitely a guilt trip. That tone - it was distress. Was this what that Force being meant by icy hands surrounding him? A bitter, last moment reminder that not only had he failed his people, but he failed her as well? He would die here, alone on the floor of his office, and she would go on thinking of him as some cruel, villainous figure…

He got the sense that something was tugging at his body. There were hands on his face.

Her voice again. He couldn't make out the words.

Was Riyo here? Now?

No. Surely his mind was playing tricks on him. Riyo hadn't spoken to him since the night of his promotion. What would she be doing on Lothol? It didn't make any sense.

Something soft pressed to the side of his face. Her lips. That, he would recognize anywhere. Even on his deathbed.

Everything faded. 

* * *

Blue people.

He's with his people.

Is he?

How could he have possibly gotten back to the Chiss?

He blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from his vision. Was he…alive? His hearing slowly faded in. They were speaking Basic.

Why were Chiss speaking Basic?

He blinked again and his vision cleared. There were two women before him, a young one with dark hair and a much older one with white hair.

"Excuse me…" He tried to push himself upright, without much success. He was incredibly weak, and his chest burned with pain.

They both jumped, going to his side quickly. Each woman held a shoulder to support him, and the old one put a hand on his chest. "Slow down… don't move so quickly, you're still recovering."

He had to look at her twice. She had gold markings on her face. And golden eyes.

The old woman frowned, "Ah. Poor man. You must have thought we were your kind?"

Of course. Pantorans. He shook his head, "My apologies…"

"Sit back." She pushed on his chest slightly harder than necessary. "It's good you're awake. How are you feeling?"

What was he doing with Pantorans? "Where am I?"

"We'll get to that. Let's go through the most important things first. How are you feeling?"

"I'm well." This was the wrong answer – she looked as though she might start laughing. He vaguely wished he had Eli to remind him of the words he needed. He was having trouble remembering.

"Trust me when I say you are not well, young man. How does your chest feel?"

Young man. He tried to remember the last time someone called him young. Fifteen years ago? He ran his fingers over the painful spot, radiating outward. "There is some pain. Not terrible."

"Any trouble breathing?"

"No."

"How is your memory?"

"Unclear. Who are you?"

"My name is Kioi Tanase. I'm your doctor. Do you remember your name?"

"Yes, Mitth'raw'nuruodo. You may call me Thrawn."

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I serve the Imperial Navy."

"What rank?"

"Grand Admiral."

"Good. What is the last thing you remember?"

He had to think about it. His mind moved so slowly, like the cogs were coated in muck. "I was in my office on Lothol."

"Good. Anything else?"

There was definitely something else. It was just all so foggy at the moment. "I am afraid that is all I remember. I think more may return later."

"Yes, don't be surprised if it does. You're okay to sit upright now, you just need to be very careful. No sudden movements."

Using the wall behind him as a brace, he pushed himself to a seated position. No sudden movements. As if he could make a sudden movement. His body was stiff, tired.

"You've been out for five days. You were pretty badly injured."

"What happened to me?"

The old woman opened her mouth to answer, and then snapped it shut, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You have a visitor."

He turned to see Riyo, standing frozen in the doorway. _Her eyebrows are pinched together, her eyes wide._

"Riyo?"

Her lips. He remembered her lips. He was cold, he couldn't see, he was in pain… but her lips were some small bit of comfort. He thought he'd imagined them.

"You…" The word came out like a sigh. "You're awake? They thought… they thought you might not…"

"I'll just leave you two to talk…" The old woman pushed past her, shoving Riyo into the room and closing the door on them.

"Does it hurt?"

He realized he'd been running his fingers over the spot since she entered. He moved his hand away quickly. "No. Not much. Do you know what happened to me? Doctor Tanase has not explained yet…"

"Yes… I… You don't remember anything?"

"No."

She moved closer to his bed. _Her eyes are cast downward. She's trying to avoid looking at him._ "I found you… in that office. On Lothol."

"What were you doing on Lothol?"

"I was there to see you."

This was terribly confusing. "On what grounds? You were quite clear you did not wish to speak to me anymore."

 _She blinks rapidly, the corners of her mouth turning downward._ "I… Yes. I was."

 _Her eyes turn up to his, like she's searching for something. Something on his face. The corners of her eyes are wet, as though she was about to start…_

A tear rolled down her face. She blinked quickly, trying to hide it. "I was wrong. Someone sent me a great deal of classified documents… about what had actually happened on Batonn. I was coming to apologize to you. But when I found you…" Another fat tear.

Crying. That was something the Chiss didn't do. There was something so painfully beautiful about it when she was the one doing it.

"You were bleeding out on the floor, someone had stabbed you…"

It all came back to him very suddenly. He touched the spot.

 _Her hand covers her mouth, like an attempt to stifle the sharp, broken inhale she takes._ "Thrawn, I… I'm so sorry…"

"For what? It seems you saved my life. I owe you a great deal of thanks."

"That was nothing but luck. Had I been just a few moments later I'm afraid…"

Afraid. That was the problem. She was terrified that he came so close to dying. He wanted to reach out to her, to touch her tears. But she had asked him to not touch her the last time they saw each other. So he didn't.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around him.

Hugging was yet another thing Chiss didn't do. At least, not in the same context that many of the core world dwellers did. It was a somewhat instinctual gesture, to pull another close as an act of protection or intimacy. Parents did it to their children, to comfort them. Lovers did it in moments of intimacy. But one would never see two adult Chiss do it publicly, certainly not in a situation like this.

"I'm so happy you're okay." He could feel her tears on the side of his face.

"Riyo, you should not be so distressed…"

Her lips pressed to his cheekbone. "Just… Let me speak for a moment?"

He fell quiet, half because he wanted to hear what she had to say and half because her lips made him loose track of his thoughts. That seemed to happen frequently.

"I do not know what you have been hiding, but I strongly suspect you have been hiding a great deal from all of us. I have my suspicions, things I've thought over the years… I dismissed most of them after I heard the rumors of Batonn, but they've slowly crept back to me. I would like to understand. But I also understand if you do not wish to tell me." Her lips pressed to the side of his face again. "I do not think you are a cruel or malicious man. Or… whatever it was I called you the last time we spoke. I am sorry for that. And I am sorry to have left you… alone… in a position in which you were in danger."

Her fingers, he realized, were woven between his, touching the spot.

"I am your ally," she said. "As are my people. You are safe with us." At some point she'd seated herself on the bed next to him without him noticing. "Please... will you explain to me what you can?"

"Yes. But first, would you please answer a few of my questions?"

She nodded. "What would you like to know?"

"Are we currently on Pantora?"

She laughed. "Tanase has kept you in the dark, hasn't she? We are not on Pantora, we're on a ship. I.." Her smile faltered for a moment. "I thought it not wise to take you back to my home planet."

He looked at her, considering his response carefully. "You overheard the conversation my crew members had before they left me?"

She nodded silently, the unspoken fact weighing heavily on both of them: Palpatine wanted him dead. She'd realized he wasn't safe among Imperials and rescued him from his own base. It was an act of great compassion, and bravery, on her part.

It was also treason. Returning to Pantora would not be an option for her until the matter was settled. She'd sacrificed her ability to return to her people to save him.

He bowed his head to her. "We are well hidden?"

"Yes." _She runs her fingers over the side of his face._

He was confused. The gesture was oddly affectionate, considering their current status. But then their status was confusing as well.

"What do you know of Batonn?"

"That it was not your fault. That you gave them ample opportunity to turn themselves over, to negotiate, but they refused. And that the explosion that killed so many civilians was not set off by your command, but likely by a rogue agent."

"That is incorrect. I did not order the explosive set off, I never would have done so with so many civilians present. However, one of my personnel did it under my leadership. I am responsible for their actions."

She looked at him quietly for a moment.

Much to his surprise, she leaned in and kissed him. "I am sorry to have doubted you." She drew back. "Anyhow, was it one of your personnel? Or was it that awful woman… Pryce? The report said she was on the mission, on the ground."

"It is irrelevant. I allowed Pryce on the mission; therefore her actions are my responsibility. Where did you obtain this information?"

"It came from an anonymous source. I assumed it was you?"

"It was not. I do not think the information released to you serves as proof of innocence. If I felt such evidence existed I would have sent it to you much sooner."

She kissed him again. "Make of it what you will. I will do the same. I think it makes a very large difference that you did not wish to end all those lives."

"I have one more question. How did you get onto the base - and into my office? Further, how did you manage to get me off the base and onto your ship?"

She looked at him for a few moments, opening and closing her mouth. "You already know the answer to that. I'm certain you've figured it out by now."

"Is this a Rebel ship?"

 _Her lips part slightly. She looks away from him._ "Yes. Pantora has been aiding the Rebellion under the Empire's radar since I left my position as Senator."

He suspected that was the answer, but it still filled him with icy cold dread. He let his forehead fall onto her shoulder.

"Thrawn? Are you okay?"

"You will make my hair turn grey."

She stroked the side of his face gently. He felt like he might fall asleep on her shoulder. "What do you wish to know, Riyo?"

She was quiet for a few long moments. "What is your purpose?"

"You figured that out many years ago. It is what united us. We have the same purpose."

She put a hand on the side of his face and ran her thumb gently along the mark under his eye. "You serve your people. You were planted within the Empire by the Chiss? To help protect them?"

He was lost briefly by the touch. "As I have expressed, there are evils out there much greater than the Empire. My mission was to assess the possibility of an alliance with the Empire. The opportunity to command in the Imperial Navy was merely a chance; Palpatine made the offer and I felt it was too good an opportunity to deny."

She kissed him again. He wondered if she would kiss him for every question he answered.

"I suppose it is an unnecessary question, but what is your assessment?"

"The Empire is a greater threat to my people…" he looked at her very seriously, "and to yours, than they are an ally."

Another kiss. "So your objective has changed?"

"Yes. Since my promotion, my objective has been to recruit allies within the Empire to join my people, to strengthen the Chiss forces."

Another kiss. He considered starting to give half answers.

"Do you wish to return to your people?"

"I need more time to assess the situation. I am not certain that is the best course of action."

She looked at him quietly, studying him closely. "That was not my question."

"My answer is that I wish to do what is best for them. I cannot discern what that is until I have given the situation more consideration."

A smiled played across her lips, "You are going to great lengths to avoid giving me a simple answer. I believe that may in itself answer my question."

* * *

Two days later, Doctor Tanase finally released him. Riyo lead him through the hallways of the ship to his quarters.

"Have you come any closer to a decision as to what your next step is?"

"I am beginning to formulate a plan. There are a great deal of factors to take into account."

"Such as?"

"My primary concern is to keep my people – and yours – safe. With that in consideration, I do not think it would be wise for either of us to go to Pantora. There is no doubt our presence, sooner or later, would be known."

"That is likely a good deduction. I had no intentions of returning until this is settled." She frowned. "It is a little unfortunate though. I had hoped to show you Pantora."

"And I still hope to see it someday. Perhaps it will happen when all of this has settled."

She paused in front of a door and entered a code. It slid open and they stepped inside.

It was more than he ever would have asked for, with a kitchenette and seating area with nice plush furniture, very Pantoran-looking in style with shades of blue and maroon and gold. There was a bedroom off to the side, which from where he stood looked almost as large as the seating area.

Something caught his eye – a golden hairpiece and a familiar looking embroidered cape, draped over the back of the sofa.

Upon further investigation, the space was not Pantoran in style. It was Riyo.

"This is your residence?"

 _She scratches her nose. Her facial glow increases slightly._ "Shall I make up some story about how we don't have any other available rooms?"

"I don't think that's necessary."

* * *

Her fingers played over the exposed scar gently, like she might somehow be able to heal it.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." It'd been half a day of this. He wondered if the others on the ship realized they hadn't left the room. He didn't really mind either way. It'd been far too long since he was close to her. "I have formulated a plan."

She didn't say anything. She pressed her lips to the scar.

"You're going back?"

"Yes."

She nodded into his chest. "I understand."

"I had hoped you might accompany me."

Her eyes darted up to him. "Thrawn…"

He pushed himself upright, against the headboard of the bed, still feeling weak. He was healing, but slower than he'd hoped.

"I understand that you cannot leave your people. I would never ask that of you. But returning to your people now would put them in danger."

"Yes… yes, of course."

"I propose that you and your crew accompany me to Csilla. I can safely navigate this ship to Chiss space, undetected. My people will be happy to have you."

"You seem quite sure of that."

"I have been recruiting the best of the Empire to join my people for some time now. When I first met you, I fully intended to extend that offer to you. However, after spending more time speaking with you, I came to realize that you would never leave your people." He paused. "It is what makes you such an appealing and effective leader. Your unconditional loyalty to your people. I assure you, my people will welcome you."

He looked at her for a few long moments. There was something else he needed to add. "And… If it is of any consequence, I would _prefer_ if you accompanied me."


	9. Epilogue

Note from author: Thank you all for reading, I appreciate all the feedback and love this story has gotten! To the user who commented on my diction issues: I so, so appreciate the honest feedback. I know it's an issue, but unfortunately I don't have a beta so I'm sort of winging this on my own.

Hopefully you're all good with a nice, fluffy, cannon/legends bending end.

* * *

Eli couldn't help but crack a smile when he saw the familiar face. He'd aged a little, though not as much as he would have guessed for someone who recently had a near death experience.

The Chiss officials that had joined him for the occasion would definitely not approve of the blatant display of emotion, particularly while in uniform. They could go jump off a cliff with their opinions, for all he cared.

Much to his surprise, Thrawn returned a somewhat amused looking smile – no doubt he found Eli's expression comical when he was surrounded by 10 or 12 stoic Chiss officials from the military and government.

"Commander Vanto. It is good to see you once more."

"Same to you, sir. Welcome."

An Ascendancy representative from the same ruling family as Thrawn, a man in his whom Eli had been introduced to on a few separate occasions, held his hand out to Thrawn. The two exchanged what Eli learned was considered an unusually warm greeting among Chiss – not quite a handshake, but more like a brief brushing of palms. The typical greeting is a slight bow – this, to them, is a great deal of contact for a greeting, something reserved only for very special people.

Thrawn, no doubt, was a very special person to all of them.

He spoke in proper Cheunh: _"Welcome back, Mitth'raw'nuduoro."_

It was a tricky language. Eli could understand it, but he still couldn't speak it. He didn't know that he'd ever be able to.

Something in Thrawn's expression changed slightly after hearing his comrade speak. No doubt, he was relieved to hear his native language for the first time in well over a decade. He responded with only a slight hesitation: _"Thank you. I am relieved to be back, despite the circumstances. I do think I have valuable information to offer our people."_

It was very odd to hear the man speak his own language for the first time.

Thrawn turned to him, switching back to Basic. "Commander Vanto, would you mind retrieving Senator Chuchi for me? I believe she is in the control room."

* * *

"Eli!" Riyo smiled widely at him. "It is so good to see you again."

He bowed his head, "Senator. You as well. It is always far too long between our meetings."

She waved at him, "It is, but you shouldn't call me that any more. I resigned that position long ago."

"You deserve that title, and if things were operating more fairly I'm sure your people would still want you to have it." He paused. "Thrawn mentioned you were the one who found him…"

Her stomach dropped. "I did. It was by nothing but luck that he survived. He'd been stabbed, and was bleeding terribly. An assassination attempt of some sort. He says he knows who did it. We nearly lost him – he'd lost so much blood and for obvious reasons there's not an ample supply of Chiss blood hanging around the Empire, even if you look for synthetics."

"You managed to find some?"

"Oh… I have some friends who are rather crafty."

"Crafty at breaking into military facilities and stealing supplies?"

She smiled.

"I do think there might be more to you than you let on, Miss Chuchi. What sort of crafty, thieving friends could you have conveniently located so close to Lothal?"

"I've made a very wide variety of friends over the years, Commander."

"We're not half as bad as you'd think." He looked to the other side of the control room, where the voice came from. It was a female Togruta, grinning at him toothily.

He looked back to Riyo. "Is that…"

She waved the question away, "Introductions later, Commander. I understand I need to greet the people of my adoptive home?"

He glanced back to the Togruta suspiciously. "Right. Right. Follow me." He was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed as he walked with her.

"It was a very lucky coincidence you showed up to help him."

"It was. The whole thing was horrifying…"

"I'm certain it was. What made you go back?" He paused. "I mean… after what happened…"

"Someone sent me some information on Batonn. Information neither of you could disclose to me at the time. I realized I was quite wrong. He still disagrees with me…"

"Of course he does. I wouldn't expect any different from him."

"But I do see that his intention was never to hurt those people."

"It wasn't." Eli said softly. It made her feel even guiltier, for blaming both of them for something they essentially had no hand in.

"I dropped everything to go visit him once I got the report."

Eli sighed, "Damn, I guess we both have good timing."

She paused mid step. "Wait… that was you?"

He grinned widely at her. "I suppose the stars were smiling on both of us as far as timing goes."

She threw her arms around him, "Yes… well, maybe upon him more than us. Thank you. Thank you so, so much."

"Thrawn will always carry guilt from the incident. He truly does blame himself for it. He's a good leader, in that sense. But I thought… he may on some level be entitled to that guilt because of his leadership, but he certainly didn't deserve to lose you over it."

"Eli… you are the best friend he could hope for. He was lucky to have had you assigned to him."

Eli laughed. "Well… not certain about that, but I am glad I could repay him for what he's done for me. And for the galaxy as a whole."

She almost laughed as he turned off the goofy smile and straightened up – back to official mode. They were near the docking area.

She did the same.

There were only two people in the area: Thrawn, and another Chiss man, who he was speaking with. The other Chiss was rather handsome, with longer hair brushed back neatly and a similar broad-shouldered build to Thrawn.

Thrawn paused when he saw her, motioning for her to join his side. He said something to the other Chiss in their language, with only three words she recognized: _Riyo Chuchi_ , and _Pantora_. She'd been introduced.

"Representative Chuchi," He switched back to basic, "This is Syndic Mitth'ras'safis, of the eighth ruling family."

She bowed to him. The Mitth family. Thrawn had given her a rundown of Chiss society structure, explaining their merit-adoptive family system. They both represented the same family.

"Syndic Mitth'ras'safis, it is a pleasure to meet you." She said, certain she'd slaughtered his name. "Do you understand any Basic?"

"He understands enough to know what you're saying." Thrawn said flatly.

Thrawn had never been particularly good with politics, but even the Syndic looked mildly offended by his bluntness.

"Mitth'ras'safris also happens to be by brother." Thrawn added in an unusually casual tone.

"O… oh." His _brother_? She hadn't known that was a thing. He did look terribly much like Thrawn though. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware…"

"Neither was I, for the record." Next to her, Eli looked just as shocked as she felt.

"Representative Riyo Chuchi." He spoke with a thick accent, bowing to her, "You may call me Thrass."

Thank the stars for that.

"I speak Basic…" He tapped his mouth, "Not good."

She'd have to work on that with him. If this was really Thrawn's brother, she definitely wanted to be able to communicate with him.

* * *

His brother looked at him, switching to their language. _"This is the representative of the Pantoran people?"_

 _"It is. She's a highly adept leader, and a masterful politician. I assure you, she will be a great ally for our people."_

He glanced to Riyo, then back to Thrawn. _"How long have you known her?"_

 _"I met her only a few years after I left our people."_

His eyebrow just barely quirked in an expression he immediately recognized. _"Are all Pantoran women this stunning? You ought to have brought more of them."_

 _"Riyo is exceptional. In many ways."_

 _"Surely she has a mate of some sort. Is he present?"_

 _"She does. And yes, he is."_

Thrass seemed a little defeated by the answer. _"That is a lucky man."_

 _"I like to think so."_

His brother blinked at him. _"Really?"_

 _"Yes."_

Another silence. _"Pantoran men must be quite undesirable…"_

Thrawn noticed Eli walking for the exit quickly. His shoulders were shaking with laughter.

 _"I forget the Human understands our language sometimes."_ He motioned to Riyo, switching to Basic. "Senator Chuchi, follow."

Riyo leaned closer to Thrawn, speaking quietly. Thrass could, no doubt, still hear. "What did he say to you? Eli looked like he was about to pop he was laughing so hard…"

"Nothing of importance."

"Syndic Thrass." He stopped and turned back to them. She motioned back to the ship, "We have others. Not many, about 25 in all. Would it be appropriate to allow them off the ship?"

His brother looked at him for a translation.

He didn't offer one.

Thrass didn't appear happy. He motioned to Riyo. "Say again, please?"

Riyo didn't repeat herself. She glared up at Thrawn with a frown.

He gave in and translated.

"Yes. Your people," He motions to the area around them, then spoke to Thrawn, _"Her people can be trusted to be mindful of our privacy, am I correct?"_

 _"Commander Vanto will stay and ensure they don't wander where they are not supposed to go."_ He nodded to Riyo. "Will you let the others know they may exit? Eli will stay with them to guide them."

He and his brother waited while she returned to the ship.

 _"You could help me not make a completely terrible impression."_ Thrass said flatly.

 _"You wouldn't have a shot with her no matter how well you came across."_

 _"Do you really think I'd be interested in a woman you've paired with?"_

He looked at him silently for a moment.

Thrass frowned back. _"That was nearly twenty years ago, are you still bitter?"_

 _"Not at all. I have much better things now. I'm merely reminding you, brother."_

Riyo exited the ship, the Tano woman next to her. He wasn't entirely (at all) fond of the idea of being anywhere near Tano, however Riyo felt the need to point out that the woman had played a large part in saving his life. To her credit, she was clever and driven. She'd be a good ally, if he felt he could trust her. He made sure she didn't know their coordinates as he piloted them to his homeworld. The last thing he needed was that woman knowing where his people resided before he'd finished assessing her trustworthyness.

A few others were with them: Io Huy, the young Pantoran nurse, and Emeri Seena, a Marilian woman who served as an advisor to Riyo (he'd questioned a few times what a Marilian had to do with Pantoran politics, but Riyo had just glared at him), and Rooney Geo, a human pilot who had apparently aided Riyo and Tano with his rescue…

His brother was glaring at him again. _"I'm beginning to think this mission wasn't as much of a trial as you make it out to be."_

Before he could retort, Riyo and the others reached them. His brother stepped forward and bowed, speaking with a thick accent, "Welcome to Csilla. I am Syndic Mitth'ras'safaris."

His accent really shouldn't be so prominent, Thrawn thought. He ought to have practiced more with Eli.

There were a few quick introductions and they turned to leave – he and Riyo were set to meet with some of the Chiss leadership to explain their situation.

Thrass motioned with his hand as he turned, _"Let the orange one know to please remove her hat when she is within our facilities."_

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Tano smirking. "It's not a hat."

They both turned back to her, Thrass looking utterly bewildered. Not only had she understood what he said in Cheunh, she'd respond in what _felt_ very much like Cheunh to both of them.

She grinned toothily. "You've essentially just asked me to take off my ears, Syndic."

Thrawn was less surprised. He'd spent enough time around force users to not be utterly shocked when something like this occurred. Now, giant force beings falling from the sky… that was another story.

His brother still had much to learn.

Thrass hesitated. _"You… speak our language?"_

"No."

Thrawn took a moment to appreciate her ambiguity. Maybe Tano wouldn't be as bad as he feared.

 _"This is best left for another time, Syndic."_ He let himself smile a little. _"But no, she cannot remove her ears."_

Thrass lead them as they left the others. Thrawn walked next to her, watching her closely. She bore no expression, her eyes fixed forward, her mouth tight. She was focused, thinking. No doubt planning for any possible objections or issues that may arise, considering her options and figuring out what her best leverage was in the upcoming negotiation.

A room of Chiss officials were waiting for them, with their minds already made up. The Chiss weren't fond of outsiders, they would have already decided to politely reject she and her people. She would make them change their minds. If there was one thing he'd learned over the years, it was that Riyo was magnetic - her intensity, her fierce loyalty, and her compassion attracted people. If it had worked on him, it would work on the rest of them.

In a way, he thought, this was somewhat like the Empire allowing him join their ranks. They had no idea what was coming.

The Chiss were very reserved people. Emotion was something to be hidden. Physical contact was really only appropriate in private settings. As they made their way into the room - a long table flanked with the most important politicians and military officials of Chiss society - he placed his hand between her shoulder blades and escorted her to their designated seats.

He'd always liked that phrase Vanto used... They could go jump off a cliff with their opinions.


End file.
